Year 2015 saw 45% decrease in terrorist attacks in Pakistan: report

• Figures in report were provided by Interior Ministry to National Assembly during its last session on Friday

The total number of terrorist attacks reported in Pakistan decreased by 45 per cent, total number of deaths reduced by 39 per cent and total number of people injured decreased by 53 per cent in comparison to 2014, according to country reports of the US Department of State.

On June 2, the State Department released “Country Reports on Terrorism” which describes the counter terrorism background during the last year. The figures in the report were provided by the Interior Ministry to the National Assembly during its last session on Friday.

According to the report, terrorist incidents in India and Bangladesh increased manifold during this period.

Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had informed the National Assembly in its last session that the law and order situation had improved significantly and incidents of terrorism had decreased since the launch of the National Action Plan (NAP).

Implementation of the NAP has enabled Pakistan to begin a journey of unprecedented economic growth. This growth has been built upon a foundation of improved law and order that has come about as a result of the NAP.

As a result of the visible improvement in the law and order situation in Pakistan, investor confidence has increased and the Pakistan Stock Exchange has hit its highest mark in three years. All of this has been possible because of the NAP.

The NAP is a comprehensive and all inclusive document which aims at eliminating, terrorism, extremism and militancy in all its forms and manifestations.

All provincial governments and other stakeholders are implementing the NAP.

The NAP is a national task as well as responsibility and there are a number of stakeholders, including the federal government, provincial governments and 22 others bodies.

The interior minister told the National Assembly that the NAP consisted of a number of steps, actions, processes and procedures.

“Some are short term where actions have been taken and results achieved whereas others are medium to long term where actions have been initiated and results would be achieved in a due course of time,” he said.

“At times there are coordination and implementation issues, resource constraints. There are legal and financial constraints resulting in slow implementation of the NAP. These issues are being resolved with time despite all these limitations,” he added.

The National Assembly was told that the NAP was being pursued through vigorous monitoring and the Ministry of Interior along with all other stakeholders was ensuring that all NAP points were implemented.